


The Thirst Trap

by cymyguy



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Getting Back Together, M/M, Pining, Post-Timeskip, Pre-Relationship, Professional athletes, Sexting, Thirsty Tobio Week, kageyama tobio vs social media, thirsty kageyama makes everyone else thirsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:21:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23255389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cymyguy/pseuds/cymyguy
Summary: Tobio's first post features a full glass of milk.Four years later he makes his second post. And then he keeps posting. It's not because of the explosive response; he only cares about one person seeing it.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 235
Kudos: 1787





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is for #ThirstyTobioWeek on twitter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 1 prompt: outfit

The Adlers and the Black Jackals have played twice now. Hinata won the first time. Tobio won the second time, which was today. Now all the guys who knew each other in high school are out for dinner. Tobio’s sitting next to Miya-san, who’s sitting next to Bokuto-san. Atsumu had been talking to him for a while, but Bokuto showed him something on his phone, and now he and Bokuto are going back and forth with their phones and laughing. After Tobio’s caught a glimpse of a few nearly-naked men on Atsumu’s screen, he says, out of pure curiosity:

“Who’s that?”

“A try-hard,” Miya-san smirks. “What do you think of thirst accounts, Tobio-kun?”

“What’s a thirst account?”

Bokuto snickers.

“Thought so,” Atsumu says. “This—is a thirst account.”

He shows Tobio a collage of thumbnails with chiseled torsos and biceps and even asses.

“This—” He clicks into one photo. “Is a thirst trap.”

“A trap?”

“People post a photo like this to get a rise out of everyone in the comments section. See?”

Tobio scans a few comments. There’s lots of weird emojis, but the words he can mostly make something of.

“A thirst trap,” he says, nodding slowly.

“Look at this guy.” Bokuto leans over to show him a different photo. Atsumu snorts.

“Can you imagine sending something like that to the whole world?”

“Yeah, well, he got what he’s after,” says Bokuto, “Look how many people said they wanted him to—”

“I think he gets it.” Atsumu pushes Bokuto’s phone away as he turns back to Tobio. “See, there’s people like us, who get ripped because it makes us better at our jobs. And there’s people who get ripped for attention. Sad, huh? Although at least some of them try to say it’s for ‘health’—”

“Oh yeah, _right_ , because everything you do is to be better at your job,” says Bokuto, “Mr. check out my own legs every time I see my reflection!”

Atsumu turns back to Bokuto right at that moment, so no one sees Tobio look up across the table at Hinata. Tobio would like to do that. To get someone’s attention.

They had dated in high school, he and Hinata. Tobio remembers all the kisses, quietly in the storage room, quickly outside Sakanoshita’s, eagerly in the morning. He thinks about them a lot. They held hands if they were going somewhere together on a day off to play volleyball. They bought each other sweets on their birthdays, and sometimes went off to have lunch, just the two of them. 

Then Hinata went to Brazil. They didn’t break up, and they didn’t say they’d stopped, but they didn’t act like they were still dating, and they didn’t act like they were going to resume dating when Hinata got back. So Tobio has been under the assumption that they aren’t dating. If they were, Hinata probably would have sat by him at the table.

He would like to date Hinata again. But he knows that he would like a little more to go into it, this time. In Rio Hinata got tanned, taller, and bigger. Storage room kisses were nice when they were in high school, but now he’s looking for something a bit different. Knowing what he wants gives him a good feeling, too, and he could be more confident this time, acting and receiving. He wants to get Hinata’s attention that way, to gauge if that sort of thing’s there between them, and now he’s found out a way to do it.

That’s it, then. He’ll set a “Thirst Trap” on Hinata. Hinata is easy to trap. Not on the volleyball court, anymore, but otherwise he’ll fall for just about anything.

They played at the Jackals’ gym this time, so the three Adlers have to catch their long bus back to Sendai. They wave and singsong goodbyes to each other on the sidewalk. Tobio and Hinata speak in unison.

“Thank you for the game!”

Hinata ducks into a bow at the same time as him. He grins at Tobio.

“See you later, Kageyama.”

Tobio nods. To be honest, he’s tired of the see you laters.

Hinata keeps standing there after his teammates start to walk away, and after Tobio’s teammates have left him behind. He smiles until Tobio turns and follows Hoshiumi’s call.

Tobio already has an account. He follows his old teammates and some new ones, and some opponents. When he gets home that night, he looks it over. He has one post, from four years ago, of his hand and a glass of milk. The first thing he decides to do is update his username. _KageyamaSetter2_ is long, and 2 isn’t even his number anymore. He goes with the standard format, plus a T, _KageyamaT20_. Just so Hinata can’t mistake him for another Kageyama, who plays for the Adlers. Hinata’s not the smartest person he’s ever known.

Tobio has a couple errands to run the next day before his afternoon practice. He comes to the gym in his street clothes, joggers and his black puffy coat and new black trainers with shiny orange detailing. He approaches the PR intern.

“Wah—Ah—Kageyama-san! Hi! You surprised me, sorry for yelling at you.”

He holds out his phone.

“I’ve seen you taking pictures of practice before,” he says. “Are you good at it?”

“Uh—Um—I do my best!” She chuckles, voice so high he can barely hear it.

He holds his phone out farther.

“I’d like to take one to—to post.”

“Oh! I can help with that!”

He nods. She takes his phone, and he backs up a few steps, and looks at the camera.

“Um…Did you want any kind of background?”

“Background?”

“Well right now there’s a lot of things going on behind you, that might draw the attention off of you in the photo. Um, maybe we could step into the hall back there!”

He obeys her direction.

“The lighting here is darker too, you look really cool Kageyama-san!”

He nods his approval, almost smiling because she reminds him of Yachi-san.

“Did you maybe want to unzip your coat? Um, just if you want!”

“Unzip it?”

“Well it is up to your chin, you’re not showing very much of yourself, unless that’s what you want of course!”

He unzips it.

“And—maybe put your hands in your pockets?”

He slips his hands into them, unstiffening his shoulders.

“Hm…How about a peace sign?”

He takes one hand back out and makes the sign.

“I think it’s cool! Are you ready?”

Tobio nods.

“Okay!”

She takes several pictures and shows him.

“Will that work?”

Her voice is really high again. He nods.

“These are good.”

“They are good. You could be a model, Kageyama-san. You’re very good with directions.”

“Thank you for the help.”

“Oh, of course!”

He’ll post one of these now, and by the end of practice Hinata will probably have seen it.

~

Hinata is home from practice, separating his light and dark laundry. Before he takes it down the hall he flops onto his bed and checks his feed.

“Ka—Kageyama? Tobio?!”

He leaps up.

“Kageyama posted something?”

He grins, then laughs. The more he looks at the photo, the more he laughs.

“What got into you, Kageyama?”

He sticks out his tongue as he starts typing.

~

Tobio scrolls through the comments until “handsome” and “hot” have become a blur over his eyes and lost all meaning to him. He spends even more time trying to filter the comments down to only Hinata’s username. He only manages to get them narrowed to comments from the people he himself is following. Yachi said:

_ Wow, you look nice in all black. And intimidating. _

Then there’s Hinata. He commented! Tobio’s stomach flutters, and he almost jolts out of his seat; he’s not used to that feeling. Then his brow scrunches up so fast he feels a cramp in his forehead.

_ HinaShou21BJs: WOW kageyama u posted smth! Were u feeling cute today? _

Cute would be something, coming from Hinata, but the laughing-with-tears face at the end kills it. He huffs. But he waits, because Hinata might say something else. He usually says something else.

This time, though, Hinata’s got nothing more to talk about. Tobio’s down one, then, but he’s not beaten. It took him a second try to beat the Jackals, so he knows that next time, he’ll get him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 prompt: cosplay/uniform

“What can men wear that makes them look attractive?”

Ushijima-san stares. Hoshiumi-san stares. They were the only ones Tobio intended to hear him, but it’s their libero who answers.

“Uh, uniforms?”

“Uniforms?” Tobio says.

“Yeah, you know, police officer, military—”

Tobio doesn’t listen to this part. Uniforms, of course. There are uniforms in volleyball, so that’s easy. He’s a professional athlete, so wearing his uniform looks professional.

He brings it to practice with him the next day, a day he knows the intern is usually there. He approaches her again, phone held out. She smiles.

“Please help me take another photo!”

“Sure, Kageyama-san! Your uniform this time, huh?”

He nods. Hinata is a volleyball player too. He won’t be able to _resist_ this uniform.

“U—Um! Is he plotting s—something?”

“I think—Yeah, that’s just a smile,” says one of the assistant coaches. Tobio brings his attention back to the intern.

“What background should I have for this one?”

“Hm…”

They go to the home locker room.

“Do you want to come running out, as if you were taking the court for a game?”

“I can’t run,” Tobio says. “He sees me running in this all the time.”

“He?”

“I have to be standing still.”

“Okay, so how about in front of the door, so people can see the Adlers logo?”

He steps into the short hall leading to the door.

“How do I stand?”

“Um…Maybe lean against the wall?”

He tilts to the side and bounces into the wall with his shoulder.

“Uh, with your hand on it?”

“Like this?”

“Sure, if you just relax a little more. Go for a bit more casual!”

Casual…?

“Or you could try…your hand on your hip? And now be casual—”

He slouches forward.

“Um…” She twirls her hair around her finger.

“I know I’m only good at volleyball,” Tobio says. He bows. “Sorry to waste your time.”

“No no, don’t say that Kageyama-san! There’s no way we can’t get a good picture of you! Let’s try— _Both_ hands on your hips!”

He gets hopeful again and sets his hands on his hips.

“And—How about you turn around, and look at me over your shoulder?”

He does.

“There! That’s good!”

“It is?” He glances down at his presented rear. “Oh, yeah, it is.”

The intern blushes.

“Um, ready?”

“Yes.”

She takes the picture.

“Ohh…These are intense!”

He checks them. They’re kind of like the promotional pictures the team brings in a real photographer for at the beginning of each year. But where those would be a little more centered on his back and the name there, these are centered slightly lower than his back. All of his legs are in the shot too, and his hands on his hips firms up his shoulders.

“This is perfect.” He turns to her. “Thank you very much! Sorry, what’s your name?”

“Um, it’s Hime.”

“Thank you very much Hime-kun!”

She bows. “Thank you, Kageyama-san! It helps me learn things about my position, so thank you, I’ll be glad to help you again!”

Tobio feels pleased about that.

Hinata likes his photo. He does not comment on it. Tobio decides, during a second day without comment, that he’ll allot him a period of three days to respond. Three days should give Hinata the time to see the picture, thirst, pull himself together, and then reach out. At the end of the third empty day, then, Tobio concludes that he’s failed a second time.

Maybe Hinata’s seen too many men in uniforms. He’s desensitized to it. In that case, the problem’s not with Tobio (though he should have foreseen that, maybe). Hinata is tougher to crack than he thought, but they’re not in their teens anymore, and they’ve seen more of the world. And Hinata’s seen Brazil. Tobio’s going to have to up his stamina—No, his style. Or his—hair, or _something_ —

Is that his phone ringing? He tears from the kitchen into the living room, only to find it’s his sister calling.

“Yeah?”

He can hear her eyeroll in the beat of silence.

“We haven’t talked in like two months, Tobio.”

“…”

“What’s with the posting spree?”

“What?”

“Don’t deny it. Two posts in three days is a spree for you, Kageyama T 20. Trying to get a new boyfriend?”

He hates his sister! He hates her!

“Or just the attention?” Miwa says. “That’s a perk of the career, I suppose. When you’ve got a million or two followers, how about promoting me?”

“You have lots of followers already.”

Probably a million by now.

“Oh, that’s right. Want me to promote you?”

“No.”

“Yeah, yeah, never want _my_ help. How’s Mandarin?”

“Fine.”

“Now you ask me something. I know it’s been a while since we did this, but come on.”

He clucks his tongue.

“What poor kid’s hair have you botched recently?”

“For crying out loud, that was years ago! And you’re not any worse for wear now, are you, Tall Dark Handsome Sensation? Hair grows back.”

“But it takes a long time,” he mumbles.

“Yeah, well…The strongest things take the longest time to grow.”

“Why do you even follow me?” Tobio says. “I don’t follow you.”

“I don’t. Hana-chan from my salon said something about you coming out of your shell. But sweatpants and a volleyball uniform? I’d say that’s pretty well within bounds. You’ll have to go farther, Tobio.”

“I’ll do what I want.”

“Yeah, no surprises there.”

Like Miwa doesn’t do what she wants. Tobio’s mouth twitches a little.

“Do you still live alone?” he says.

“Where’d that come from? Yeah,” she says when he’s quiet. “With Michiko. You?”

“With Mandarin.”

“Yeah, and?”

“And you’re how old?”

“Hey, what are you gonna get smart for?”

He scowls.

“Why’d you ask that?”

“You said to ask you things.”

She says nothing. That means she’s not convinced.

“Anyway. I’ll call you again in March, I guess.”

“I’ve got tournaments in March,” Tobio says. “You could call before that.”

“February, then.”

They’re quiet.

“Bye, Tobio.”

“Bye.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 prompt: workout

Tobio realizes within the week that he doesn’t have much of an idea what he’s doing with this trap. He needs to do research.

It happens to be very easy to find example photos. Some of them manage to surprise him, like the ones with a complete lack of clothing and some random piece of furniture being used to keep private the one select area. He doesn’t think his end goal requires quite that much shamelessness. Speaking of shamelessness, he probably shouldn’t be doing this research on the bus.

He waits until he gets home to go farther. As he scrolls and scrolls, patterns begin to emerge. The way the thighs are turned outward, the way the hips are pulled back or pushed forward, the way the fingers are positioned on the phone in mirror pictures. There is a certain balance of casual and deliberate in these photos that Tobio doesn’t think he grasped in his first two attempts. There’s lots of bathroom pictures. Tobio thinks that’s an odd choice of background. The place he takes his dumps, and the place Hinata sings his pee song? There’s also lots of workout pictures.

That would be easy for a professional athlete to get. And tomorrow is a weights day, so it’s decided.

Tobio’s in group one and finishes his reps first. While group two starts on the last of theirs, he sneaks along the wall and to the large mirror at the end of the room. He parts away the hair stuck to his forehead, then tries to look as tall and wide as possible as he snaps a picture in his sweat-darkened blue t-shirt. But when he looks at it, all he can focus on is Ushijima’s bicep as he uses the bench press behind him. Tobio deletes it and pretends he’s getting a head start on his stretches, hanging out by the mirror and waiting for the room to empty.

He thinks he’s clear and raises his phone again, but then Ushijima-san turns his way, looking through the mirror at him. He comes over.

“Pictures?”

Ushijima looks up at the mirror, raises his arm and makes his bicep pop.

“You’re taking workout pictures?” Hoshiumi yells.

He runs up and drops to one knee in front of them, flexing his arms down.

“I’m ready,” he says.

“Me too,” says Ushijima.

“Hey, the kids are taking pictures!”

Not the captain!

“Oh ho?”

“You better get in there and be the man among the boys, Romero.”

“Sure, sure.”

No, not Romero-san too! He steps up behind Tobio and flexes both arms, smiling wide. Tobio takes pictures, his face twisted with displeasure.

“You’re ruining it, Kageyama,” Ushijima points out.

When they finally start to leave, Tobio flicks through the photos. He can’t post any of these, with those two hulking over him and the short one shirtless and way too energetic! Tobio glances over his shoulder, then fixes his hair again. He stands there, turned slightly at an angle to the mirror, and hesitantly places his free hand on his hip. He shifts his weight to his back leg.

Wait. He rolls up his sleeves to the ends of his shoulders; he remembers that Iwaizumi-san used to do this. When he puts his hand back on his hip, he bunches up the bottom of his shirt to show a sliver of stomach on the one side. Stomach, arms, legs, and sweat. Yes, this will work.

It does _not_ work. Hinata doesn’t even like the photo. Tobio thought he was right on track with this post; a peek at the comments from strangers was full of water droplet and fire emojis. Yachi and Yamaguchi liked it, and all their Karasuno senpais. Miya-san left a thumbs-down and a face sticking its tongue out, and Bokuto said _hey hey HEEEEY_. Hoshiumi asked why he wasn’t in it. But there’s no mark of Hinata Shouyou on it at all. He could be jealous, but he would probably still like it and say something in the comments about not letting Tobio stay ahead of him. Tobio doesn’t have an explanation for his total absence.

It’s the third day when he checks it again, just once more, before he starts his evening routine. Filter on or filter off, there’s no evidence that Hinata’s even seen his picture. Just great. Before he closes out, one random comment catches his eye.

_OTdragons17: If your game’s as weak as these photo skills i’m gonna thrash you at setter tryouts tobio-chan_

Oikawa-san? Why is Oikawa looking at his page?

He knows there’s a thing called blocking someone on this platform, and since he wants to block Oikawa in any and all forms that blocking exists, he’s about to start searching for it. But he pauses. Oikawa was popular in middle and high school, for some reason that Tobio still hasn’t grasped, but anyway, it’s probably likely that he’s still popular. Tobio goes to his page to check, and he does have a lot of followers, and a lot of posts. Team photos, photos of sunsets, of food, _and_ his own workout photos. Tobio clucks his tongue.

He has gotten help from Oikawa-san before. It was a pain in the ass, but he got it, and since this has nothing to do with volleyball, maybe his old senpai will be more willing with the secrets of his skills. It’s not like they’re rivals at this—

He clenches his phone in his fist. Hinata met Oikawa in Rio. That wild and mysterious land of the sleeveless uniforms and bare feet. They had _dinner_ there together. Hinata _told_ him.

Tobio doesn’t check to see if Hinata is following the other setter. He’s going to get Oikawa’s tactics out of him and use them to destroy him!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 4 prompt: shirtless

Tobio has considered his next move carefully. Shirtless seems like the logical step, although he gets a strange feeling when he thinks about a shirtless picture of him existing. A younger Tobio could not have foreseen the use in that.

There are plenty ( _plenty_ ) of shirtless pictures on Oikawa’s page. Tobio texts him at the number he has stored from years ago, and it so happens that it hasn’t changed. But with their conflicting schedules, it takes several days for the conversation to get somewhere.

_Hello Oikawa-san, I need your advice on how to take good pictures of myself._

_Oikawa: Lol go read an article_

_It would be easier to understand with your advice_

_Oikawa: How many times do I have to say I. Won’t. Help. You._

_This has nothing to do with setting though_

_Oikawa: I’m not helping you further your career in any way! I owe you nothing!_

_It doesn’t have to do with my career either_

_Oikawa: I’m not helping with a new career either_

_Oikawa: Ask someone who’s actually your friend!_

_Oikawa: Oh, do you still not have any of those? Ha!_

_Please Oikawa-san, I want to know how to take a good shirtless photo_

_Oikawa: I’m shocked Tobio-chan, when did you lose your innocence?_

_Oikawa: It was chibi-chan wasn’t it_ _😊_

After reading this, it takes Tobio an entire day to stop seething every time he thinks about it, and he only answers once he’s stopped.

_I want to take a good shirtless photo_

_Oikawa: And you’re asking me because?_

_Oikawa: You think mine are good?_

_Yes._

_Oikawa: Yes what?_

_They’re good_

_Oikawa: What’s good?_

_Your photos_

_Oikawa: Now put it all together_

_Just help me or don’t!_

_Oikawa: Ok no thanks!_

_Your photos are good_

_Help me please!_

_Oikawa: Fine_

_Oikawa: Since you’re so hopeless_

_Oikawa: It’s not like you could possibly top mine anyway, you’re still 2 years behind, junior!_

Tobio grumbles, but his pen and notebook are ready in front of him.

He has two home games in the next week, so it’s not until after those that he finds time and focus enough to spare on the shirtless picture. Another thing he thinks he might be doing wrong is taking his photos in places other than his home; people seem to give a stronger response to those pictures that are more “private.” So he’s going to do this one on his own couch.

He has his softest navy sweatpants on and his phone in hand, hair just dried and still a little piecey from the shower. Most of Oikawa’s advice was about angle and lighting. It’s just before noon, and a nice clean sunlight spills through the half open window shades onto his couch. His cat is snoozing there in the warmth. He sits on the opposite end from her, and the sunlight stripes his abdominals just like he wanted. He raises his phone to test the angle he’s been practicing.

Oikawa said—chin up? No. Should he check the notes again? No! He’s ready, the lighting is perfect, he can do this! Mandarin hops onto the back of the couch, appearing suddenly in his screen. Tobio blinks. She creeps along until she’s next to his shoulder, where she crouches, looking to either side of her before her gaze settles down over the end of the couch.

Hinata calls Mandarin the cutest cat ever. He likes getting pictures of her and is always bugging Tobio for them. So Tobio will let her be in the picture too, it can’t hurt his chances any.

“Ready?”

He lowers his chin just a little and clicks two times, then two more. He takes one more just in case, then breaks his pose. His chest is in the forefront, with the light leading the eye down to his abs at the bottom (Oikawa used that leading the eye phrase). Mandarin adds color to contrast his hair and winter paleness. She even lifted her eyes to the screen on the fourth picture. He chooses that one to post.

Hinata met Mandarin once, when he was in Sendai for their first game. Tobio gave him his address and he came to his apartment the morning after, before his team’s departure. She’s pretty shy, even with the neighbor that feeds her when Tobio’s away, but she warmed up to Hinata before the end of his short visit was over. It gave Tobio a little feeling of victory, for some reason.

He goes and gets a shirt, puts in a game DVD, then checks on his post. Comments roll in before his eyes. He forgot to put on the filter. One pushes another down to the bottom before he can hardly understand. But he understands enough that his cheeks start to heat up. He suddenly remembers that Mandarin is next to him and panics for a second, but since she can’t read, her innocence is probably not in danger. He adds the comment filter anyway and sets his phone aside, trying to settle into the game on the TV. His stomach gets squirmy when he thinks of Hinata saying something like what he just read, and he fights valiantly against a smile as his face warms again.

By the end of three days, _HinaShou21BJs_ hasn’t liked the photo. He’s liked other people’s photos within that time frame, and commented on other people’s photos, and posted one of his own with his sister after a game. Tobio can’t help being extremely disappointed, pretty much offended, that Hinata wouldn’t even _like_ a picture with Mandarin in it. Hinata could have said she was cute and Tobio was ugly, and he would’ve felt better than he does currently.

This would’ve been better the other way around. If Hinata was the one posting pictures, Tobio would like all of them. He has liked all of Hinata’s pictures. Except for that one where he was doing a set with completely incorrect form (Hinata insisted he was joking around, but Tobio refused to like it anyway). He would appreciate photos of Hinata. So why isn’t Hinata appreciating his? He should maybe think a little deeply about this, about why that would be. But he’s too stubborn to abandon his plan when he can still go farther with it. He hasn’t lost yet.

While making dinner that evening, he gets a text with three middle finger emojis at the end.

_Oikawa: That was beginner’s fucking luck tobio and also YOU CHEATED_


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 5 prompt: shorts

Tobio stands in front of his bedroom mirror, which he’s angled so that there is blank white wall behind him. He wears black socks and a pair of black gym shorts.

Well, can it really be called _wearing_? These shorts are from high school. They were his favorite his first and second year. By his third they didn’t fit as comfortably, but he still wore them once in a while. Now, they don’t fit at all. He’s only wearing them because he hopes Hinata will remember that he used to tease Tobio about them being short.

The waistband isn’t terribly snug, but the leg holes squeeze his thighs in a way these shorts are not meant to squeeze. He doesn’t need to see his ass to know how tight they are back there. And he’s afraid to turn to the side and see how much he is not fitting into the front, thanks to that random hormone boost somewhere between 18 and 19. He does turn, grimaces and turns back. Can he—adjust, so that the shorts aren’t pulling up his thighs in the front? The more he adjusts, the clearer the outline becomes against the fabric. If he turns to the side, there’s less outline, but then he has an extra curve.

Good grief. Can he do this? He’s pulling them apart so much he can almost see up the leg hole…He covers his face and groans. Then he stares himself down in the mirror. He’s Kageyama Tobio. He is a setter. And he’s going to make Hinata Shouyou beg to touch his body. Or—Or something like that.

He takes his phone from the bed. He goes for a slight side angle, with his leg stretched out enough to make the bulge a little less prominent. And he rests his hand on his back hip, since that’s been working for him. Mandarin is safely shut out of his room. His hair is fine. So he takes a snap in the mirror. It comes out a little shadowy, with the sun already down outside and nothing to aid the fluorescents, but he doesn’t hesitate to post the very first one.

He decides to add some words below. Just in case Hinata doesn’t remember, because it’s an important point of the photo for him to remember.

_ My favorite shorts _ , he types.

~

Hinata chucks his phone at his bed.

“Huuuuh!”

~

“Kageyama.”

Tobio’s just gotten to the gym, to meet the team and get on the bus. Ushijima-san is already addressing him?

“Your photo posting is creating internet buzz,” he says. “The Black Jackals are facetiming Hoshiumi-kun right now to talk about it.”

“Guys! Here he is, here he is!”

Hoshiumi rushes Tobio and forces him into the screen.

“Yo! Tobio-kun!” It’s Miya-san. “What we told you the other day wasn’t advice!”

Bokuto shoves into the picture. “Hey, you tryna start something? You think this is a game?”

“No. Is Hinata there?”

Atsumu glances. “Nah, he just ran out. What’s that Omi-kun? Omi-kun says his dick is bigger than yours.”

“Shut the fuck up Atsumu,” Sakusa-san drones in the distance.

“Why didn’t you let us in on your little plan, hm? We could’ve been doing a joint account. V League volleyball in Japan.”

“D league!” Bokuto cackles.

“No,” Tobio grumps, scooting away from Hoshiumi.

Ushijima holds up his phone, showing him a post title: _Is KageyamaT20 Hacked or Unofficial???_

When he scoots away from Ushijima too, he runs into their captain.

“Hirugami-san.” He bows. “I didn’t mean for it to affect the team.”

“Ah geez, don’t worry about it, Kageyama. It’s just publicity, it comes with the job. My advice is just don’t read into it too much.”

He nods. The captain hits his shoulder.

“Post whatever you want.”

The same day, Tsukishima sends some kind of post to the group chat. More people arguing about whether Adlers marketing got ahold of Tobio’s account.

_ Tsukishima: Care to address these rumors king? _

Yes, he does, in a place where Hinata will be able to see him take ownership. He’s not letting the PR team take credit for all his work, even though the intern did help him.

_ Yamaguchi: Did you really have to tsukki _

_ It’s me posting them! _

_ Not the PR team _

_ Tsukishima: The fact that you admit that so brazenly is honestly scarier than anything else _

_ What’s scary? _

_ What are you talking about shittyshima _

_ Yamaguchi: Kageyama don’t be rude please _

_ Sorry _

_ Yamaguchi: I guess everyone’s just surprised that you’re posting regularly now _

_ Yachi: You don’t need to listen to them Kageyama! It’s your account and you can post whatever you want! _

_ Tsukishima: Yachi you asked me earlier today if he was really the one posting these photos. _

_ Yamaguchi: Tsukki wtf _

_ Tsukishima: Sorry _

_ Tsukishima: But it’s true _

_ Tsukishima: Idk why everyone wouldn’t just go right to Hinata, he’s the one to ask _

_ Yachi: Well Kageyama answered us anyway so now we all know. _

_ What would hinata know about it? _

_ Yachi: I’m sorry Kageyama, I didn’t mean anything bad by asking. I’ve just been surprised! You’re being so confident! _

_ Tsukishima: I think overconfident was the word you were looking for _

_ If you don’t like my photos don’t look at them _

_ Tsukishima: I don’t even follow you king, there’s just been such an outcry that I had to see what the fuss was about _

_ Yamaguchi: Well it’s a stupid thing to make a fuss about. Keep posting your photos kageyama! _

_ Tsukishima: Really Yamaguchi _

_ I work hard on my posts _

_ Yamaguchi: We can see that _

_ Yachi: You work hard at everything you do, Kageyama. We’ll always support you! _

_ Where’s hinata? _

He doesn’t get a response for a good five minutes.

_ Yachi: I guess he must be busy? _

_ Yamaguchi: Aren’t you the one who knows his schedule? _

Hinata never does respond to the chat. Tobio is so angry he feels like he’s going to start crying. He goes out for a run and holds Mandarin before bed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 6 prompt: photoshoot/shower

There’s still one ray of hope for Tobio. About two months ago he signed an endorsement deal with an athleticwear brand. Even his sister got excited and called him when the brand announced him as a new partner. This week he has his first photoshoot scheduled with them, in Tokyo. If a professional photographer and a whole crew of appearance experts can’t do enough to make Hinata notice, then, and only then, will he accept his bitter reality.

The Adlers send an agent with him for support, and to get him through the buses on time. They meet the set director first, then Tobio’s sent into a back room to the makeup team.

“Miwa?”

She stands there with her arms crossed.

“You’re not surprised, are you? I was under the impression I got the job on a recommendation.”

“You never said anything,” says Tobio, “So I didn’t know you’d gotten it.”

“Are you ready to trust me?”

He eyes her. “If there are no scissors.”

“Come here and sit down, then.”

His sister has a team of three women at her direction. She walks circles around them as they work, pointing, gesturing, sometimes whipping out a tool of her own to touch something up. Tobio is awed in spite of himself.

“You’re the control tower,” he murmurs.

“Pf. Yeah.”

They give him a full tracksuit with a funky green patterning down the arms and from the knees down the pants. He doesn’t like it much, but when he comes out everyone’s saying he looks handsome. Before they begin, he wants to make sure things get on the right track. He approaches the shoot director.

“I’m comfortable showing skin,” Tobio says.

The woman stares.

“It’s easier for people to tell I’m an athlete that way,” he adds.

“Oh. Well, that gives us some more options, then. Thanks for letting me know.”

He nods and walks over to his place on the set. He’s taken a lot of pictures recently, but he’s still not sure what to do with himself. There’s a lot of camera clicking even when he’s just standing there blinking against the bright set lights.

“Okay Kageyama-san, getting comfortable with the camera? What would you like to wear next?”

He looks down at himself. “Do you have something tighter?”

“Um, Kageyama-kun,” says the Adlers agent, “Can I talk to you for a second?”

Tobio steps aside with her.

“You know you only have to do what you’re comfortable with,” she says. “That’s why I’m here. You don’t have to completely sell yourself out just because you’re on a contract.”

“I’m comfortable.”

“You—Okay. Just let me know if that changes.”

They give him a white t-shirt and an orange pair of spandex biker shorts.

“Adlers colors.” The agent gives him a thumbs up. That wasn’t the first thing Tobio thought of.

“Why don’t you sit down in front of the canvas there…”

With direction he leans on his hands behind him. Someone comes and tugs the sleeves farther up his arms. Good. He lolls his head back.

“And bend your front leg up a little. A little more.”

Damnit. Why is he getting the life squeezed out of his bulge if it’s going to be hidden in the picture? The camera clicks start to slow as his scowl deepens.

“You don’t like the outfit?” says the director. “Want to change?”

“Can I do a pushup?” Tobio says.

“Um, sure, Kageyama.”

He flips over and swings his rear end around, dropping into a pushup with his ass to the camera. Just as he tries to glance around him and see if they’re taking it, the camera clicks.

“Okay. Good.”

Tobio smirks to himself. He’s getting better at this.

Halfway through the shoot he goes back to have his hair redone. His sister works on it herself this time, combing some kind of gel through it with her fingers, root to tip.

“Why does it look rough?”

“It’s called texture.”

They put him in more sweatpants and a dark blue zip-up jacket made of a thin, slippery material that stretches over his shoulders and across his chest. He leans against a prop for some shots, until his intense frown makes the clicking start to die down again.

“What if we unzip it more,” Tobio mumbles, pouting at the zipper.

The director sends one of the assistants, who unzips it to the bottom of his pecs. He’s beckoned closer to the camera before they snap some.

“We could go full shirtless,” says another assistant. “With the fanny pack?”

Tobio tears off the top.

“Okay then.”

Someone comes and takes it from him. Another person straps a fanny pack around his waist.

“Makeup?”

Miwa approaches with something in a spray bottle. He wrinkles his nose as she spritzes his body with gloss.

“Okay, hands in your pockets. And go ahead and look at the floor.” Click. “Now at the camera.” Click.

He gets sent to change into some leggings and red shorts. When he gets back, he hears:

“Do we have the ball?”

Tobio perks up. Someone tosses it to him. It’s the brand and color he asked for.

“Oh ho! We got a little smile there!”

Everything comes more naturally with a ball in his hands. The whole crew praises him as he wields it proudly.

“Almost done guys. Let’s give him the white jacket, and a stool here.”

“Tobio.”

His eyes search beyond the lights for his sister.

“Run your hand through your hair.” She makes the motion.

He starts to raise his hand, then frowns.

“Before you said not to touch it.”

Miwa raises her threatening eyebrow and does the motion again. Slowly he copies her.

“Again.”

He does it again. The clicking goes ballistic.

“Kageyama, bring your chin to your shoulder a little more—Now look down—Mouth open a little bit, just a little bit—Good, very good.”

Per his contract he’s required to make a social post onto his page, but Tobio gets to choose what photos. Number one. The tight blue jacket. A torso shot with the zipper half down, exposing some chest. Number two. T-shirt and biker shorts. A proper pushup, with his ass to the camera, and the line of his body framed from the top of his head to the backs of his knees. Number three. Red running shorts and black leggings. His bare back to the camera, the volleyball palmed at his side.

He debates number four for a long time. The pictures taken after his hair got fluffed up are hardly recognizable as him. But maybe that’s a good thing. He decides on the one where he’s sideways on the stool, one foot pulled up onto it, looking at the camera. He puts this photo last, so Hinata can only see it if he looks through the rest first.

He walks out with his sister and his agent. Before they split, Miwa hands Tobio a bundle in a blue lunch wrapping.

“You can heat it up when you get back home.”

Tobio brightens. She rolls her eyes over a smirk.

“Bye Tobio.”

“Bye.”

He’s in a terrible, toweringly bad mood three days later, when the photoshoot has officially failed him. Practice on the fourth day distracts him, but when it’s over, he goes home and gets right in his shower.

He soaks himself, pushes his sopping hair away from his forehead, and jerks open the shower curtain. He grabs his phone off the cabinet and takes a picture in the mirror, all the way down to the drenched bush of his black pubic hair. He posts it, and finishes his shower.

He puts the filter on the comments and dries himself off, waiting. There’s no Hinata.

He shouldn’t have tried this in the first place. Tobio is good at volleyball, and that’s just fine. That’s more than enough. He has his cat, and his sister, and his team, and he had a boyfriend, so no one can say he’s never given it a shot. He should’ve quit when Hinata stopped liking his pictures, and spared himself the embarrassment from his team and the Jackals and his old high school friends. No, he should’ve snuffed out the idea as soon as it came to him, that evening at dinner. Because if Hinata wanted to date him, they would be dating by now. Tobio let himself like Hinata too much, and that made him stupid.

Is that his phone ringing? He takes his towel off his head.

_Missed Call: Hinata_

He drops the phone.

He wraps his towel around himself and lunges to pick it up. Tobio will call him back. Oh, Hinata already is. He answers.

“I _know_ you were _just_ on your phone,” comes a growl, “So why the heck didn’t you answer?”

Tobio blinks.

“Hinata. Hi.”

He hears a very stiff—

“Hi.”

Tobio steps from the bathroom to his bedroom. He sits on his bed, then gets right back up, and starts to pace.

“How are you?”

“I—Fine,” Hinata says. “How are you?”

“Fine.”

“You don’t _sound_ fine.”

Tobio’s heart is thumping loudly. His stomach is fluttering like crazy. Oh boy, okay, he’s talking to Hinata now.

“Kageyama, I’m one of your oldest friends, right?”

Oldest friends. Friends? Friends…Does Hinata want him to say friends? Or should he mention, does Hinata _want_ him to mention, that they were boyfriends?

“I think we need to talk. Okay?”

Tobio doesn’t know what this means. He’s got no clue.

“I’m coming to Sendai!” Hinata declares. “I’m going to get on the bullet train at 1 o’clock, and I’ll be there in 2 hours and 45 minutes. Give me the address of a good place to eat.”

Tobio’s gears start to turn again at the mention of eating.

“You’re coming to Sendai—to eat?”

“Kageyama! I want the address so I can meet you at a good place to eat! So we can talk!”

“Oh. Okay, I’ll find a place.”

He hears a big sigh with almost a groan at the end.

“Okay, see you.”

“See you.”

Hinata’s coming to Sendai.


	7. Chapter 7

Tobio hasn’t worn jeans in possibly a year or more. The ones that fit the best still don’t accommodate all the muscle he’s put on. Snapping a photo in something that displays him is a bit different than actually going out in it. But he puts on a longish hoodie and then a coat, and hopes maybe real life Hinata can appreciate things more than _HinaShou21BJs_ tends to.

“Kageyama!”

Hinata holds his hand up and smiles, but it leaves too quickly, calling back to mind his disconcerting tone during their call.

“Did you get a new phone?” Tobio says as he approaches.

“Yeah, uh, I dropped mine. This is where we’re eating?”

He nods. “It’s a good place.”

“Okay.”

Hinata leads him inside. He asks how Tobio’s cat and sister are. Tobio asks how his family is. They get their food, and their table goes silent for several minutes.

“I thought you came to talk,” Tobio says.

“I’m waiting for you to say something.”

Tobio cocks his head. Since when is that something Hinata does? With anyone?

Hinata sighs, rubs at the back of his neck, and meets Tobio’s eyes.

“Kageyama, are you unhappy?”

He blinks. “Um…” He shrugs.

“I’m just—I’ve just been worried,” Hinata says. “I’ve been worried for a little while, and then today, I got really worried. And I knew we both had the afternoon free, so I came.”

Hinata sounds—desperate? Tobio swallows.

“Why are you worried?”

“Well, because—You better not be a jerk about all this, when I came all this way and everything.”

“I won’t…”

“I’m worried because of all your posting. Of your pictures.”

Tobio stares.

“It just—It just seemed kind of weird, that suddenly you started posting stuff. So I wondered if something happened, or you’d—started feeling bad, or something. Everyone else was saying you just have a lot of confidence, but that didn’t really make sense to me. So, did something happen, before you started—posting your pictures?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, Kageyama, that’s why I asked.” Hinata stuffs some food into his mouth. He looks out the window as he chews and swallows. “Were you seeing someone while I was gone? And you had a breakup?”

“What?”

“That makes sense,” Hinata snaps. “You wanted to get revenge, or—or make yourself feel better because people would leave comments—because you were feeling down, or something.”

Tobio has never been more confused by something Hinata said.

“That’s just what I thought,” Hinata says. “If you’re not going to tell me, what am I supposed to believe except what I think?”

“I didn’t see anyone. While you were gone.”

Hinata looks at him for a long moment.

“Then—Then why the sudden—pictures? Everyone’s kind of surprised by it, not just me, so you’re—you’re changing, it seems like. And that’s fine. But I just didn’t want it to be because of something bad. I guess that’s why I came to talk.”

Hinata starts to eat again. Tobio’s not hungry, suddenly.

“Have you looked at all my pictures?”

Hinata sends a little glare over the table. “Yeah, duh, I’m following you, so I can see everything you post.”

“Did they—Were you embarrassed?”

“Huh? Why would I be embarrassed? You’re the one in them.” His voice goes a little high.

“If you saw all of them,” says Tobio, “Then I do feel bad. Because I posted them for you to see, and you didn’t react to any of them.”

Hinata drops his chopsticks. He narrows his eyes at Tobio, but then they go wide again.

“S—Say what?”

“They were for you,” he says, an edge creeping into his voice as he feels his cheeks get red. “I hoped you would think I looked good.”

Hinata stares.

“I felt bad when I thought you didn’t,” he adds.

He’s never seen someone pale and then blush again so fast, not even Hinata himself.

“You—You’re joking! That’s mean Kageyama!”

He scowls. “No I’m not.”

“Da—Waa—Why would you do _that_?”

“I wanted us to date again, since you’re back now.”

Saying that was easy. Maybe—Maybe Tobio could’ve just done that?

“Why didn’t you just _say_ that then? What the heck Kageyama? What—What were you posting all those pictures for?” He flails.

“It was a thirst trap!”

“I know it was a thirst trap! Why did you turn your page into a thirst trap?”

“So you would say I looked good in the photos!”

Hinata presses his hands to the sides of his head.

“Ka—ge—ya—ma, if you only wanted me to see your pictures you should’ve sent them to me in DMs! That means Direct Messages. If you’re aiming it at a specific person you should do those things privately! Then I would’ve known _I_ was the one who was supposed to see them!”

“I didn’t know that was a thing,” Tobio grumbles. “But—But I wanted you to say something.”

“Where everyone could _see_?”

“Yeah!”

“ _Why_?” he cries.

Tobio glares.

“Do you not want to?”

Hinata meets his eyes. His mouth presses into a hard line. Then he stands.

“Get up,” he says to Tobio. And when he’s complied, Hinata turns to the rest of the diner.

“Excuse me! Can I have your attention!”

Everyone looks wearily. The man behind the counter steps around.

“Sir, is there a problem?”

Hinata springs up to grab Tobio’s neck and kisses him. Something hot explodes inside Tobio. Hinata’s lips drive him back to that one comparable memory, of them kissing in high school. This is much different. Just when Tobio’s brought his hand up to hold Hinata’s head into it, Hinata pulls away. He looks up with a light blush and fiery eyes.

“N—Now come with me!”

He pulls Tobio outside. He tugs him into the first alleyway they come to.

“There. Everyone could see.”

Tobio nods. Hinata is bright red and averting his eyes. When he does look up, Tobio nods again. His heart is falling into his stomach and leaping back up. He reaches for Hinata’s neck, gut clenching and relaxing violently when his fingers slip over the shorter hair in the back. Hinata grabs onto his hands as their lips meet, and then he shoves Tobio into the wall.

Their mouths drag and press and suck without parting for a few of the longest moments of Tobio’s life. Hinata’s hands fist the front of his sweatshirt. He makes a low, deep noise from his chest that stirs Tobio’s insides. He’s not used to the Hinata who can do that. There’s a soft, fuzzy-edged, pitiful little groan inside Tobio, but he doesn’t let it out.

“I really—really wish—I would’ve known—about—the pictures. Kageyama. I wish—you would’ve—sent them privately—I wouldn’t have had to—to go on so many runs—to make me less mad before bed.”

“I did that too,” Tobio says. Hinata jerks away from his searching lips.

“Kageyama! Why did you do this to us!”

He squishes his lips to Tobio’s again.

“Kageyamaaaa,” he whines, “Why didn’t you send them—just to me? I read comments because sometimes I couldn’t help it. It was terrible! I didn’t _want_ —other people saying those things to you, and I didn’t—want you liking it!”

“I didn’t read them,” Tobio mumbles, “I only looked for yours. And never got one.”

“I’m _sorry_ , okay? I’m sorry…” Hinata’s eyes burn back at his. Then they drop to his lips, then Hinata attacks his mouth again.

When they break for air, Hinata grins at him, a petrifyingly sly grin.

“What did you want my comment to say?”

Tobio freezes, then drops his eyes, face starting to heat up in a different way than it already was.

“What did you want me to say? Kageyama?” he singsongs.

He lays down the guilt card again. “It doesn’t matter. You didn’t say it.”

Hinata pouts. Then he leans in, near to Tobio’s ear.

“Will you invite me to your house?”

“Okay.”

He feels Hinata’s grin more than sees it.

“Then I’ll tell you everything I wanted to say. About _all_ the pictures of you.”

Tobio suspects all his blood has gone to his face, except the little bit making his dick tingle.

“Okay. My house is close.”

Hinata grabs his hand, looking proud about it, and lets Tobio lead him.

When they get to the door of his apartment and Tobio makes to unlock it, Hinata presses up to his side, grinning.

“Say hi to Mandarin first.”

“Of course I will!”

She’s right there in the kitchen. Hinata pads over, talking soft and calmly, crouching down in front of her and petting her slowly. When she seems comfortable, he scoops her into his arms with one of those blinding smiles.

“Such a pretty girl! Did you know you’re an internet star Mandarin?”

Mandarin looks indifferent as Hinata continues babbling to her. Tobio moves toward the living room, and they follow. He stands in front of his couch, until Hinata looks up and catches his eye. Tobio watches him swallow, and he sets Mandarin gently on the end of the couch.

Tobio flops onto the other end, Hinata flopping with him, and they’re back in the middle of their makeout. Tobio feels himself hardening in earnest now.

“Mandarin—”

“She left,” Hinata says.

“Okay.”

Hinata pulls his bottom lip between Tobio’s, the wet sound going right down to his toes.

“Tell me—” he pulls Hinata in, then pushes him back— “What you wanted to say.”

“I wanted to say—so many things—”

Hinata wrestles his tongue from his own mouth to get it at Tobio’s.

“The—The shorts—” Hinata breathes a laugh. “You still have those?”

“They’re my favorite.”

“You were a bastard for saying that!”

“You laughed?”

“I couldn’t _laugh_. You were too—Um—Too grown up for them…”

“You liked it? I tried hard,” Tobio says.

“Well you made it look like you didn’t have to try at all. It was irritating.”

Hinata tugs at his hair in apparent retaliation. It takes a moment for Tobio to overcome the spark shot down his neck.

“You called after the shower one.”

Hinata pops off his mouth.

“Because that crossed a line, Kageyama! Actually, several lines!”

“Well I was pissed off,” he mumbles. “You didn’t like the photoshoot.”

Hinata gasps.

“That was _so cool_. But did you really go in there and tell them you wanted thirst trap photos because you were trying to get a boyfriend?”

“No. They just let me do whatever I wanted.”

“You’re so embarrassing! But those workout clothes looked so cool, and you even got to have a volleyball? That’s not fair! And—And—That one—” His eyes stray up, and his hand moves from Tobio’s neck up into the bottom of his hair. “Where your hair was different. That was…”

“Was what?”

“It was—something.”

“You’re not very good at saying stuff.”

“Don’t say that Kageyama! I’m trying!”

Tobio quickly kisses him again.

“I can’t say—stuff like those other people would say. I can’t—think of good stuff. I just thought—” his fingers dig harder into his face— “That I wanted to do what you wanted. I wanted to—kiss you how you liked—touch you how you liked—” He pants. “And—and even f—fuck you how you liked.”

Hinata pouts at their laps.

“When I get good enough.”

There’s no doubt in Tobio’s mind that Hinata already is good enough, that all of that would be just, _just_ what he wanted. His stomach squirms. Hinata purses his lips and looks down at the hard-on in his sweatpants. It’s pressed to Tobio’s leg. 

Hinata clears his throat. “I’ll just…”

He pushes the heel of his hand over it. Tobio pulls his face close again to kiss him; Hinata’s other hand lands on his chest. Tobio drops one to the button of his jeans, then puts it down his pants to palm himself over his briefs.

“You know—Kageyama—your pictures make it seem like it, but you’re actually—not that far ahead of me.”

“I’m gonna finish way ahead of you,” Tobio huffs.

“No you’re not.”

Hinata’s hand tugs on his neck, and he forces Tobio’s head back with more kiss pressure. Tobio wraps his arm around him, pressing his fingers into his jutting back muscle. So all this time there was an angry Hinata out there, looking at his pictures and wishing he was the only one who saw them. Looking at his pictures, getting huffy, going out for a run, and still thinking about his pictures. Tobio likes it. Yes. Yes, he likes it. Hinata staring at his pictures with that stare—and wanting him—oh yes, he likes it—

“Huh—”

He comes in his pants, twisting himself off with his hand.

He becomes conscious of Hinata smiling against his lips. Tobio doesn’t get irritated (not much) because a smiling kiss from Hinata is not something he should take for granted.

“I’ve been—holding back—since your workout picture—so I’m better at—it—”

Hinata lets out a rush of air over Tobio’s chin as he finishes. His dick is trapped between his hand and Tobio’s hip. He seals their lips again and makes a noise into his mouth. Tobio hears a lot of frustration released in that little sound. It makes him shiver.

Hinata scoots back, sitting down on Tobio’s knees.

“I guess, all I can say is, um…You looked really good in your pictures, Kageyama.”

His smile is half furious embarrassment, and half hot confidence. It’s great.

“I think you look good too, Hinata. I’d like pictures of you.”

“Oh, well—Well I did take some, while I was mad…I really wanted to beat you, if I couldn’t have you, so I tried to do my own, but they’re not as—”

“Please send them,” Tobio says. “When you’re not here.”

“Okay.”

Hinata smiles, and runs his hand through his hair.

“So, we’re boyfriends again? Right?”

They each put on a pair of Tobio’s shorts, and he gets a blanket and puts in a volleyball video, and Hinata stays there with him for a few hours. Mandarin sits on the armrest above Tobio’s head. They name off all the things they want to try this time around.

Hinata has to go back on the 7:30 train. Tobio walks him to the station, holding his hand.

“How about—instead of a see you later, a see you soon?” Hinata says at the station.

Tobio lights up.

“See you soon.”

Hinata grins. “You like that, don’t you. I like it too.”

They kiss.

“Okay I have to go now, Kageyama. Train’s leaving.”

Tobio nods and keeps kissing him. Hinata kisses back for another second.

“Okay, I have to go.” He squeezes Tobio’s shoulders. “See you soon.”

Tobio runs his hands down his arms. Strong arms.

“See you soon.”

Hinata smiles, and Tobio lets go, and he gets on the train.

On his way back, Tobio gets a text.

_ Hinata: Send me lots of pics of you and mandarin. ONLY ME!!! _


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 7 prompt: harness

Tobio sends a photo in the DMs the day after Hinata leaves Sendai. He positions his mirror toward his bed, where he gets on his knees in black boxer briefs and a black chest harness. Two straps V from his shoulders down his chest and connect to a metal black ring just below his ribs. Two more, a thick one and a thinner one, come off the ring and wrap around his torso. There’s a strap around his neck, and another metal ring in the hallow of his throat, with an array of thinner straps coming off it and crisscrossing his chest and back.

Surprisingly, it’s not too uncomfortable, so Tobio waits with it on for Hinata to respond. Within a minute or two his phone is ringing.

“Hello? Did you get the picture?”

“You were going to _post_ this?” Hinata cries from the other end.

“Huh? No. I’d already given up after the shower one. I was just going to return it to Ushijima-san.”

Hinata chokes.

“You got that from Ushiwaka?”

“Just borrowed it.”

His boyfriend gives a heavy sigh.  
“Geez. You could put me in the hospital…”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Are—Are you okay? Like, for sure? For real?”

“Yeah. I’m not unhappy,” Tobio says. “Are you going to respond to it now? I’m waiting.”

“Yeah yeah, right now. Just a regular text, kay?”

“Okay.”

“Kay!”

Hinata hangs up. Tobio opens up his messages. Hinata is typing.

The flutter in his stomach sets his mind racing. Will he send a picture? One of the ones he took? Does Hinata have a workout photo? Does he have one with shorts?

He does receive a picture. It’s of Hinata’s lap. His boyfriend’s wearing fuzzy, green-plaid pajama pants. And it’s apparent that he’s not wearing anything very sturdy underneath them, because his erection is pressing at the pants just as it pleases.

Well. Tobio starts to smile.

See? Hinata will fall for anything. Tobio has successfully executed a Thirst Trap. He did have to get a little more naked than he’d initially foreseen, but he doesn’t feel any worse for wear. He did delete the shower picture, though.

He gets another message before he can think of answering.

_Hinata: What do you think I should do about it Tobio?_

He feels the heat boil to life in his stomach, then rise up his chest like steam, then creep over the skin of his neck, and jaw, and cheeks. Oh.

This must be the next move he’s set to master. He doubts this one will be so difficult. He’s always mastered things more quickly when he does them with Hinata.


End file.
